Ear-coverer.



No. 678,l70. Patented July 9, I901. W. J. GARDNER.

EAR COVERER.

(Application filed Oct. Q6, 1900.;

(N1; Modal.)

ilnrrnn STATES PATENT rrrcn.

-WILLIAM JAMES GARDNER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

EAR-COX IE RER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,170, dated July 9,1901.

Application filed October 26, 1900. Serial No. 34,456. (No model.)

To (0 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM JAMEs GARD- NER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Ear-Ooverer, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to ear coverings; and it has for its object toprovide a simple and cheap construction including a spring supportingframe to which the coverers are removably connected, whereby they may bechanged at will to permit of the frame being used with attachments ofdifferent sizes, the device when in place being adapted to excludenoises by entirely inclosing the ears.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from thefollowing specification.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application of the invention aswhen in use. Fig. 2 is a View wherein the coveringcups are shown inperspective. Fig. 3 is a section taken radially of one of the cups andshowing a portion of the supporting-frame in elevation.

Referring now to the drawings, the present device consists of asubstantially U-shaped frame 5, which may have any desiredcrosssectional shape,- either angular or curvilinear, the arms 6 and 7of the frame being adapted to lie normally with their free endsconverged, and at these free ends are formed annular loops 8 and 9 ofequal diameters. In connection with this supporting-frame there areemployed two cups 10 and 11, duplicates of each other and eachconsisting of a preferably cylindrical body portion 12, at one end ofwhich is formed a convex head 13. Adjacent to the opposite end of thebody portion is formed an outwardly directed annular flange 14 for apurpose that will be presently described. Each of the cups may be formedof hard rubber, metal, or other material or a combination of materialspossessing sufficient rigidity to maintain their proper shape.

In the application of the cups to the supporting-frame each cup has itsclosed end passed outwardly through a loop at the end of the frame, asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, with the flange of the cup restingagainst the inner side of the loop, this flange preventing displacementof the cup outwardly through the loop, as will be understood.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in the normal position of thesupporting-frame the cups are inclined slightly with respect to eachother in two directions, the object of which arrangement is to insureproper tension of the spring and the proper position of the cups whenthe device is in use. I

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in the application of this devicethe two cups 10 and 11 are drawn apart against the tension of thespring-supporting frame and are positioned over the ears of the wearer,the bight or web of the frame being permitted to hang under the chin or,if preferred, it may be disposed to pass over the top of the head.

The cups are then released, when the loops at the ends of the frame inbearing against the flanges of the cups will press the cups inwardly, sothat their edges will be held tightly against the sides of the headaround the cars.

It will of course be understood that in practice the specificconstruction shown may be modified and that any suitable proportions andmaterials may be used for the various parts without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is-- p 1. A device of the class described comprising aspring supporting frame including spaced arms having loops at their freeends, andcups engaged with the loops and held thereby againstdisplacement therefrom when moved .away from each other, said cups beingadapted for displacement from the loops when moved toward each other.

2. A device of the class described comprisinga supporting-frameincluding spaced arms provided with loops, cups disposed in the loopsand movable toward each other from engagement with the loops, and meanscarried by the cups for holding them against movement from the loopswhen moved away from each other, the frame being adapted to hold thecups in operative positions.

3. A device of the class described comprisinga supporting-frameincluding spaced arms provided with loops, and cups having peripheralflanges, said cups being removably disposed in their respective loopswith their flanges resting against the inner sides of the loops, theframe being adapted to hold the cups yieldably against outwarddisplacement.

4:. A device of the class described comprising a springsupporting frameincluding spaced arms having loops at their free ends, and a cup engagedwith each loop removably, each of said cups having a peripheral flangeresting against the inner side of its loop to prevent outward movementof the cups through their loops, and the outer ends of the cups beingclosed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 my own I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM JAMES GARDNER.

\Vitnesses:

LILLY M. HOWELL, BERTI-IA V. GREENE.

